Ottawa’s new Culture Plan: Shaping Ottawa's cultural future!

What does culture mean to you? Culture belongs to everyone. It’s something we are all already doing every day. It’s all the ways we express and celebrate who we are, how we spend our time, how we connect, how we share experiences and learn. The City is now embarking on its first city-wide cultural planning process since 2012. With the aim of developing a new municipal Culture Plan, we are setting the stage for culture to thrive in every neighbourhood and village across Ottawa. The new plan will reflect our diverse communities by recognizing the many ways culture is experienced in our city, with the goal of reaching 10,000 residents. To help us achieve a plan that reflects our communities and people who live in them, we need your input and participation – either in-person or online.    Goals of the new Culture Plan The new municipal Culture Plan is all about helping Ottawa’s communities thrive by meeting their evolving cultural needs. Led by the Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department, this new plan will be built with the voices of our residents, community and cultural groups at its core. This collaborative process will help us create a plan that:

• Redefines culture in a way that reflects how residents experience and define it, ensuring the City’s supports and programming align with these defined goals.
• Sets out a clear strategic vision and goals to guide the City in supporting residents’ access to, participation in, and expression of culture.
• Develops a concrete multi-year, actionable plan with measurable steps as we progress in achieving its goals.
• Provides a comprehensive publicly accessible inventory of Ottawa’s cultural resources including spaces, artists and groups.

Your voice matters The public engagement phase for Ottawa’s next Culture Plan kicks off April 1, with a series of in-person and virtual engagement sessions. We look forward to hearing from residents, cultural groups, and community leaders so that we can ensure that all voices are heard. To ensure broad participation, this engagement process includes online surveys, focus groups, interviews, community-led sessions, and a culture roadshow visiting each municipal ward. Our goal is to make these opportunities accessible so all residents can share what culture means to them. A vibrant cultural scene is key to shaping the future of our communities. By focusing on collaboration in developing this plan, we will define what culture truly means to our city and how residents can see themselves reflected and be an integral part of it.